What does it take to tell the truth about something most people spend a lifetime trying to forget?

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of The Suffering Podcast, Kevin Donaldson sits down with co-authors Sherrie Allsup and Dr. Dorothy Novitskie to discuss their new book, A Life Unfolding: Carrying the Secrets of Childhood Sexual Abuse. This conversation pulls back the curtain on what it really means to write from the depths of lived trauma while balancing the responsibility of telling that story with honesty, purpose, and care.

Sherrie Allsup shares the emotional weight of revisiting her past—what it cost her to put those experiences into words, and what it means to finally be seen after years of silence. Alongside her, Dr. Dorothy Novitskie provides a clinical lens, breaking down the psychological impact of childhood sexual abuse, the long-term effects on identity and relationships, and the difficult but necessary process of healing. Together, they reveal the tension between raw human experience and clinical understanding—and how both are essential in telling the full story.

This episode is not easy—but it is necessary. It’s for survivors who feel alone, for professionals who work in the shadows of trauma, and for anyone willing to listen, learn, and understand. Because some stories don’t just deserve to be told… they demand it.

Find Sherrie Allsup

Website

https://sherrieallsup.com/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/thesherrieallsup/

Find Dr. Dorothy Novitskie

Website

https://www.novitskiepsych.com/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/drdorothynovitskie/

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